When the players came out, Zhang Zhiyuan received more cheers than boos.
Although this is the home court of the Lakers, Zhang Zhiyuan was still with the Lakers last season. There are not many Lakers fans who hate Zhang Zhiyuan, and only those extreme fans will hate him.
Even if they hate, they don't dare to express the reason for their hatred.
They hate Zhang Zhiyuan because Zhang Zhiyuan is stronger and steals Kobe's limelight.
The warm-up was over and both teams started to stand on the court.
The Clippers' starting lineup is Lowry, Zhang Zhiyuan, Maggette, Hayes, and Kaman.
Thornton's scoring ability is stronger than Hayes, so he was placed on the bench to increase the firepower of the bench.
The Lakers started Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Gasol and Bynum.
The buzzer sounded, the game started, and the Lakers seized the ball.
Zhang Zhiyuan immediately linked the attribute chain to Kobe and Artest, and the other to Hayes.
With their current lineup, the Lakers will definitely release Hayes instead of Lowry.
Therefore, Zhang Zhiyuan has decided to let Hayes throw a few more to give the Lakers a surprise.
The Lakers attacked, Fisher dribbled the ball across half court, and then handed the ball to Kobe.
Zhang Zhiyuan defended alone, and Kobe played from behind.
After two hits, Kobe turned around and made a jump shot.
This move cannot cover Zhang Zhiyuan, it can only block Kobe's sight, and the rest is up to God's will.
The ball didn't go in, and the force seemed to be too much.
Gasol took advantage of his height advantage to grab the rebound and scored in the second attack.
This is a big advantage for the Lakers.
The three interior rebounders of Gasol, Bynum and Odom are very strong. The Lakers' rebounding average ranks second in the league, second only to the Magic.
The Clippers are ranked fifth from the bottom.
However, the Clippers also rank first in the league in several statistics, namely first in three-pointers, first in field goal percentage, and first in points per game.
When the Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan caught the ball and beat Kobe Bryant in isolation. He used a breakthrough.
Relying on faster speed and stronger strength, Zhang Zhiyuan already had a solid advantage when facing off against Kobe.
It's useless for Kobe to train hard, he will only get weaker in the future, while Zhang Zhiyuan is in his prime at 24 years old, and his body has already entered the peak period of a player.
Change direction, pass others.
Zhang Zhiyuan rushed to the basket and put the ball into the basket under Gasol's slap.
An unstoppable attack.
What the Lakers can do is to consume Zhang Zhiyuan's physical strength as much as possible and reduce Zhang Zhiyuan's efficiency.
When the Lakers attacked, Kobe handed the ball to Gasol. Gasol hit Hayes twice and then threw the ball to Bynum, who was in a better position. Bynum made a jumper.
Outsiders say the five-star Lakers refer to Kobe, Gasol, Artest, Odom, and McGrady.
But in terms of true strength, Bynum should squeeze out McGrady. He has almost entered a mature stage at this time. He is very reliable on both offense and defense. His efficiency is much higher than McGrady. The only difference is his reputation.
The Clippers attacked, and Artest stepped forward to attack.
In order to win, Kobe didn't care.
Zhang Zhiyuan passed the ball to Maggette, and Gasol stepped in front of Maggette. Maggette passed the ball and Hayes made a jumper.
The ball goes in.
Phil Jackson's heart skipped a beat. This was different from what he expected. He hoped that Zhang Zhiyuan would attack more, so that he could consume Zhang Zhiyuan faster.
Now that the Clippers boldly let role players perform, Zhang Zhiyuan has room to breathe.
What to do?
Jackson fell into thinking.
The Lakers attacked, and Artest helped Kobe to block the ball. Kobe shook off Zhang Zhiyuan and shot a three-pointer.
He needs to score a three-pointer and force the Clippers' defense to expand.
If the Clippers keep shrinking their defense, the Lakers will not be easy to play. Their three-point ability is relatively weak and they mainly rely on inside scoring.
The ball missed, and Kobe angrily cursed.
I feel fine during training, but I always feel a little out of shape when playing games.
Kobe Bryant even doubted whether Zhang Zhiyuan was born to defeat himself.
When the Clippers were attacking, everyone else was running, and the Lakers players didn't know whether to chase after them.
If we catch up, the defensive formation will be in chaos. Then there will be no way to flank Zhang Zhiyuan and we will have to rely on single defense.
Can Kobe survive on one-on-one defense?
Artest and others are not optimistic about this.
Gasol didn't chase, Hayes ran to the corner and was let go again.
Zhang Zhiyuan passed the ball, and Hayes took off the ball and shot very decisively.
The ball goes in.
6 to 4, the Clippers lead.
"Hey, Hayes really dares to shoot and score."
Zhang Lili smiled.
In everyone's impression, Hayes is good at defense and has no scoring ability.
His continuous scoring always gives people an unexpected surprise.
Jackson made no adjustments and seemed very unsettled.
The game continued and Kobe finally scored one.
However, this goal was scored against Maggette. For Kobe, it was not perfect.
Kobe was not very satisfied, but Kobe's fans were relieved and cheered.
"I feel like it's more difficult for the Lakers to score goals. Is it my imagination?"
Smith asked.
According to common sense, it will be easier for the stronger side to score goals.
However, the current situation on the court is that the Clippers easily get open opportunities, while every time the Lakers score is somewhat stumbling and very laborious.
"Of course not. As I said, the Clippers have the advantage."
Buckley said.
When the Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly started, frightening Kobe and taking a step back.
Then Zhang Zhiyuan took off from behind and shot a three-pointer. Kobe reacted quickly, but it was still too late.
The ball goes in.
9 to 6.
"I heard that you were practicing in seclusion before? What were you practicing? I didn't find out."
Zhang Zhiyuan smiled.
Kobe glared at him and didn't reply.
The Lakers' defense, which they are proud of, seemed to fail when facing the Clippers.
At this rate of losing points, other teams would have called a timeout to stabilize.
But Jackson didn't.
The Lakers attacked and Artest made a three-pointer but missed.
Fortunately, the Clippers finally lost power and Maggette hit the ball in the mid-range.
"It's a pity. If this goal was scored, the Lakers would definitely have to call a timeout. They escaped."
Zhang Lili commented.
"Maggette's shot was a little too simple. He should have broken through."
Sun Zhengping said.
On the court, Gasol took the initiative to ask for the ball inside, and then beat Hayes alone.
Gasol can't hit it, but it doesn't matter, he can take advantage of his height.
Hayes took off to interfere, and the effect was limited.
The ball goes in.
9 to 8.
The Clippers seemed to be performing well, but after a few rounds, they only fell into a 1-point lead.
It is too difficult for two teams with similar strengths to widen the point difference.
The Clippers attack, Zhang Zhiyuan and Hayes play pick-and-roll.
He didn't go for a strong attack, as that would be too costly.
In this series with the Lakers, he has to play at least 44 minutes per game to hope to win, so he needs to pay attention to the use of physical strength.
After the tactic was completed, Zhang Zhiyuan rushed to the basket and the Lakers double-teamed him.
Zhang Zhiyuan passed the ball. Hayes received the ball and wanted to take two more steps and then layup, but Kobe Bryant jumped in front of him.
Hayes could only take off, but as the basketball was being raised, Kobe slapped it and successfully cut it off.
Kobe's enthusiasm worked and he was able to get a steal.
Artest went on a fast break, Kobe passed the ball long, and Artest scored.
9 to 10, the Lakers took the lead.
During the transition between offense and defense, Zhang Zhiyuan passed the ball to Kaman, who was in a good position, and Kaman threw the ball towards the basket with Bynum on his back.
His position is very close to the basket, so this kind of shot is quite easy.
Unfortunately, Kaman seemed to have poor touch and missed this must-goal.
The Lakers seized the opportunity and scored again, widening the point difference.
The fans at the scene began to cheer, this was their rhythm, and the team seemed to be on track.
Once the team performs at this level, the game is basically won.
So, they are very happy now.
When the Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan relied on his personal ability to break into the Lakers' penalty area. Then Bynum fouled and sent Zhang Zhiyuan to the free throw line.
Two free throws were made. Although the Lakers lost two points, it was not a huge loss.
This round consumed a lot of Zhang Zhiyuan's energy.
When the Lakers attacked, they had many offensive points. Lowry wanted to help double-team Gasol, but Fisher made a sneak attack from the bottom corner with a three-pointer.
The ball goes in.
11 to 15.
The Lakers finally have a clear advantage.
"This lineup is unplayable. The Lakers have too many scoring points. If Zhang Zhiyuan can't lead when he is here, and the bench lineup loses some more, this game will be settled."
Zhang Lili commented.
The Clippers usually win points with the main force, then lose points with the substitutes, and then the main force fills the gap.
If the Clippers can't lead when all the starters are there, then the Clippers can surrender.
"We can only wait for Zhang Zhiyuan to explode. As long as he goes berserk, there is still a chance."
Sun Zhengping said.
"It's impossible to rely solely on Zhang Zhiyuan. It's impossible for him to break out in 4 out of 7 games. This possibility is too small."
Zhang Lili analyzed.
They emphasized the lineups of the next two teams to make fans mentally prepared to lose.
In fact, domestic fans don't necessarily have to win. They can accept losing to such a Lakers team.
Of course, it would be best to win.
On the court, the Clippers are attacking.
Zhang Zhiyuan scored suddenly and Hayes hit a jumper.
Hayes played well today. The Lakers were the laxest in defense against him, and it was difficult for others to have chances.
"Hey, do we have to rely on our Brother Hai to save the world today?"
Chinese fans joked.
"Hayes said: Stop pretending, I'm showing off my cards, I'm the real one."
Fans also played jokes on Tomato Rich Man.
They were not happy for a few seconds, as the Lakers counterattacked and scored.
"Fuck, it's so unfair. How can they defend against this lineup?"
Chinese fan Popovich was possessed and complained that the Lakers' lineup was unfair to other teams, with such high salaries and so many stars.
The Clippers counterattacked, and the others were strictly guarded. Zhang Zhiyuan could only beat Kobe alone.
Artest did not step forward to help this time and chose to trust Kobe.
Zhang Zhiyuan made a fake move, but Kobe stayed steady and was not fooled. Then Zhang Zhiyuan made another breakthrough fake move, but Kobe did not move.
Zhang Zhiyuan faked it and started it directly. Kobe followed up, Zhang Zhiyuan braked, hit from behind, and turned around and shot a jumper.
Kobe defended this ball very well and it was very difficult.
The ball goes in.
Zhang Zhiyuan also waved his fist, feeling a little excited.
"It's a joy to watch their one-on-one battles every time."
Smith sighed.
"You can watch enough of this series. Based on the current situation, I estimate that we will have to play at least six games."
Buckley analyzed that both teams are too strong and it is impossible to completely crush their opponents.
When the Lakers attacked, Kobe Bryant played Zhang Zhiyuan in isolation and also used a difficult turn-over jumper to hit a two-pointer.
After the ball was scored, Kobe breathed a sigh of relief and felt as if the pressure had been released.
After winning the duel this time, he can avoid Zhang Zhiyuan in the next fight, and the outside world will not think that he is afraid of Zhang Zhiyuan.
If there hadn't been this one-on-one challenge and Zhang Zhiyuan had been avoided from the beginning, the media would have definitely used this to ridicule him.
"This is the result of retreat. You are already 4 points behind. What else can you say?"
This time it was Kobe's turn to be upset. He did not miss this opportunity and mocked Zhang Zhiyuan.
"The one who laughs last is the winner, and you know in your heart that I must be the one who laughs last."
Zhang Zhiyuan said.
"Sorry, I don't know. I think I am the one who laughs last."
The team was leading, and Kobe was in a good mood and patiently talked to Zhang Zhiyuan.
However, while he was talking nonsense, he did not delay his defense.
When the Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan took a break and chatted with Kobe to his heart's content.
Lowry broke through to the basket, but Gasol blocked him when he went for a layup.
With his small size, it's too dangerous to lay up in the paint where big guys are crowded.
The Lakers attacked, Bynum made a mistake in receiving the ball, and Kaman stole the ball.
The Clippers were on a fast break, and Zhang Zhiyuan took the lead with a dunk.
Then the Lakers replaced Bynum.
The pace of both sides is very fast, and it is easy for the center to run around like this.
Kaman was also replaced, and Jordan came up.
The game continued, with the two sides fighting back and forth for several rounds, evenly matched.
In the tenth minute, Kobe and Gasol were also replaced and rested.
Zhang Zhiyuan continues to fight.
Taking advantage of the absence of Kobe and Gasol, the Clippers took advantage and beat the Lakers 6-2, taking the lead.
After the first quarter, 34 to 33, the Clippers led by 1 point.
Although the score is ahead, the advantage lies with the Lakers.
Their bench is stronger and their core is rested.
In the second quarter, Zhang Zhiyuan was about to take a two-minute break, and Maggette came up to lead the bench.
After reaching the Western Conference Finals, the playing time of several of the Clippers' main players has increased.
Francis, Rose and others were almost abandoned, and the playing time of Milicic and others was also greatly reduced.
However, this is too normal, and Francis and the others dare not have an objection.
Maggette lasted two minutes as a substitute. Facing the siege of Tracy McGrady, Ariza and Odom, Maggette played very hard.
"This is Maggette's true strength. Faced with difficulties, what he can do is extremely limited."
Buckley commented.
"Zhang Zhiyuan is back. The Clippers are already 4 points behind, which is not much. The key is Zhang Zhiyuan's physical strength. How can he be like this?"
Playing in a high-intensity confrontation for more than 40 minutes?"
Smith said.
When the Clippers were on offense, Zhang Zhiyuan broke through, took down Tracy McGrady, rushed to the basket and scored two points to stop the bleeding.
